An infection with parvovirus B19 may contribute to abnormal immune cell growth in people who have a thymoma, or thymus tumor, associated with myasthenia gravis (MG), a new study reports. “This study shows that B19V infection may cause B-cell proliferation and formation of ectopic GCs [germinal centers], subsequently leading…

More than one in three people with myasthenia gravis (MG) have clinically relevant depression, and a similar proportion have anxiety, a new large-scale analysis found. These rates are high, even compared with other autoimmune diseases, according to the researchers, who stressed the importance of providing care and support to…

A protein called CD59 might protect the neuromuscular junction — the place where nerve cells come into contact and communicate with muscle cells — from the harmful action of the body’s immune system in myasthenia gravis (MG) patients, a study in Japan suggests. “CD59 overexpression might be required for…

The risk of developing another autoimmune disease, especially rheumatoid arthritis, increased in people with myasthenia gravis (MG) after surgery to remove a thymoma, or a tumor of the thymus gland, according to a recent Chinese study. Women and younger patients were at particularly higher risk. The study, “…

Over 40% of adults with generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) in the U.S. who began off-label treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) became frequent users, with six or more courses in the first year, according to real-world data covering 1,225 patients. Use of standard treatments, namely corticosteroids and nonsteroidal immunosuppressives,…

The presence of anti-titin antibodies, a type of blood protein, in patients with thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis (MG) is related to more frequent hospitalizations, a study in South Korea has found. Thymoma is a type of tumor occurring in the thymus gland, a small organ in the chest that…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted priority review to Argenx’s under-the-skin (subcutaneous) formulation of efgartigimod — the active ingredient in Vyvgart, the company’s approved treatment for generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG). If the subcutaneous formulation wins regulatory approval following that review, it would broaden the…

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is supporting a pilot project that aims to develop a simple and fast diagnostic lab test for myasthenia gravis (MG). With the one-year, $100,000 NIH award, researchers at the University of California, Davis, will work to develop an assay able to identify disease-causing antibodies…

CAN106, an investigational complement-inhibiting therapy being developed by CANbridge Pharmaceuticals, has been granted orphan drug designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a potential treatment for myasthenia gravis (MG). The FDA gives orphan drug status to therapies that have the potential to treat rare disorders,…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have agreed to review applications seeking the approval of zilucoplan to treat generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG). UCB, the therapy’s developer, announced the FDA accepted its new drug application (NDA), requesting zilucoplan be approved to treat…